A Higher Place for You

God and the Donut Shop

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:24:40 +0000

Weird title isn’t it?! Well, this was a weird day. I had been working through a Bible Study on overeating and gluttony. I had a good morning, praying and studying. I was tired from a long week without as much rest as I needed, but I was still feeling pretty good. The study that morning was about how, when we look at our sin or at our weaknesses, they get stronger. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus and look to Him for our freedom, our sin has less and less power over us. “Good word” I thought. “That’s what I’m going to do”, I thought. Fast forward a couple of hours…the battle began. I wanted donuts, and I wanted them bad! Now I’m not saying there is anything wrong with eating a donut every now and then. But for me, with where I was in my health goals, it would be sin for me to eat donuts.

God had given me direction, and eating donuts at that time in my life wasn’t part of His plan for me. I couldn’t believe the war waging in my members. And what happened to that good word? Hmmmm, it kind of went out the window as I struggled with my desires and berated myself for even having those desires.

I was still fighting when I got in my car to run some errands. And then, as if some alien took over the driving, I found myself turning into the shopping center where the donut shop was located. As if in some kind of bizarre trance, I shut my mind down, got out of the car, and went into the donut shop. Well, you can imagine what happened at that point. There was no turning back. The sites and smells were too much for me. “It’s okay this time, I can start tomorrow” was the theme (lie?) going through my head. So out the door I go with my donut(s) and my coffee, excited as a child with a new toy. Getting ready to indulge my flesh in a big way, I turned the car on. As I began stuffing my mouth full of these delectable round things, I turned on the radio. It happened to be on the Christian radio station and the words coming out of the preacher’s mouth were these:

“God may shut a door because of your disobedience. There is a window of opportunity for certain plans God has for your life, but if you persist in disobedience that window of opportunity will disappear and God will close that door to you forever”.

Now I could say it was a coincidence. I could say that those words had nothing to do with my situation. But my faith tells me different. My faith tells me that God was sending me a clear message about the destiny He has for me in regards to my business and my coaching practice, and if I didn’t want the door to close on this opportunity He had given me, I better take a close look at any area of my life that He has “put His finger” on asking for my obedience.

Does He close doors because He’s mean? Or is He waiting with a bat to beat us down when we mess up? Of course not! It’s because He loves us that He gives us these warnings, these admonitions, and His grace is there to enable us to say yes to Him if we will fix our eyes on Him!

So what area of your life is the “Esau” in you trying to destroy? Losing your birthright for the sake of food (or drugs, or sex…you fill in the blank) isn’t too appealing is it? Imagine yourself in the place God has called you to, and don’t let disobedience get in the way of your destiny!

What Kind of Choices are you Making?

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:37:28 +0000

Choices
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” I Corinthians 6:12

This week I want to encourage you to think about your choices. Things like:

Do I get up early and pray?
Do I exercise today?
Do I eat lots of raw and living foods today?
Do I stop procrastinating on that thing I don’t want to do today and go ahead and get it done?

Our lives are full of these kinds of choices. Every day, you decide what your life is going to look like 10 years from now by the choices you make today. “Floating along” is a choice as well. “I’ll start tomorrow” is also a choice. “I’m going to do my body good today and drink a green smoothie” is a choice. “I’m not going to let laziness get the better of me today”. Choices. Remember that every choice you make is defining, creating, and developing your future.

What choices will you make today?

Love and success,

Ginny

A Very Personal Word of Encouragement to Emotional Eaters

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:11:16 +0000

Sharing a personal part of my journey here with you guys. I’m having what is known as “family crisis”. Situations, relationships, and events that can send you reeling into what feels like a bottomless pit of depression bordering on despair. Soooo, what do you do if you’ve been an emotional eater in the past? How do you handle? Here’s some food for thought.

You’re learning to replace bad habits (i.e., eating out of emotion) with new, good habits (i.e., eating when only physiologically hungry). So make sure you’re not ONLY focusing on “saying no” to the bad habits. They have to be replaced with something. Since there is much scientific data supporting the idea that when we turn to food for some kind of emotional release, what we’re trying to do is raise serotonin, dopamine, etc., think of something you can do instead of emotionally eat to raise those levels. For me, finding a quiet place and meditating on scripture, specifically 2 Corinthians 5:17 which is what I consider my “life verse” is exactly what I need. Remembering that the “old things are passed away, that all things become new”, begins to raise my serotonin back to normal levels and I can get my balance back. For some of you it may be taking a brisk walk, or playing with your dog. Whatever it is, just remember to focus not only on saying no to emotional eating, but say YES to replacing that habit with something good and positive.

Whew! Needed to remind myself of this these last few days. Thanks for listening!

Love and success in your raw food journey,

Ginny

22 Principles I’ve Learned from My Raw Journey

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:01:43 +0000

I’ve learned that “I’ll start tomorrow” sounds really noble, but tomorrow never comes.
I’ve learned that a little bit of compromise is like a little bit of arsenic.
I’ve learned that just as living a high-raw lifestyle takes you to heights you’ve never known, emotional eating and the Standard American Diet will send you into pits you’ve never known.
I’ve learned that buying new clothes won’t make you feel better when you’re living below what God has for you in your physical health.
I’ve learned that no matter how many courses you take, how much you read, how much you study, its taking action that brings results. And no one can take action for me but me.
I’ve learned that while it’s true that “a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step”, if you keep going back to the place where you started eventually you just make a deep crevice in the road and stay stuck.
I’ve learned that food addiction is real.
I’ve learned that living foods are best for a living body. If you want to die a slow death, eat dead foods.
I’ve learned that if you don’t know what your core values are, you’re living in a fog.
I’ve learned that if you know your core values but you don’t live by them, depression is pretty much guaranteed.
I’ve learned that trying to live a healthy life in body, soul, and spirit in your own strength only makes you weak.
I’ve learned that some days you just want to give up, but you shouldn’t.
I’ve learned that the real battlefield is the mind, and the battle starts and ends there. Everything else is just the result of what happens during the battle.
I’ve learned not to hold on too tightly to anything; relationships, habits, experiences. Eventually God will ask you to let go of them.
I’ve learned that when God asks you to let go of something, it’s because He has something better to give you.
I’ve learned that you’ll never be content when you’re living outside of God’s will, and that is the gift of God to help you become the best you can become.
I’ve learned that Proverbs 26:11 is true. “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly. It’s folly to eat the standard American diet when God has given us living food for our living bodies.
I’ve learned that the Bible and Healthy food have this is common: The more you eat them, the more you want to eat them.
I’ve learned that no matter how many times you think you’ve failed God, He still loves, will still use you, and will still help you grow.
I’ve learned that if you have an addictive personality, more than likely you can’t ever eat addictive foods without falling full force into an addictive food binge.
I’ve learned that it’s easy to make excuses about making raw food…”I don’t have time”. But really – how long does it take to make a green smoothie?
I’ve learned that being consistent is a non-negotiable in weight loss and health.

Take the Challenge and Experience the Sweet Taste of Victory

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:28:25 +0000

You know the saying, “a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step”. I’ve heard that so many times in my life and even though I understood it intellectually, I never really got it until I also understood that there were many things in my life that I was never “taking the first step” to accomplish. Why? Well, sometimes it was fear. Sometimes it was a lack of confidence. Sometimes it was just plain laziness. But these last few years I’ve been on a huge quest of personal growth, and I’ve learned a few things that I think may help you as you pursue your own challenges. You know they say when women reach their 40’s they can kind of go a little crazy (well, okay – it’s mostly men that say that!), but actually the part of that statement that I think is true is when a woman reaches her 40’s she usually is ready for some pretty major life changes. And if that same woman has a Biblical foundation and is ready to take on her challenges in a way that glorifies God, it can be a very exciting time of life for her!

What are you facing that you want to change? Most of you who are “in my space” (which I’m very grateful for by the way!) are interested in improving your health, lose weight, reduce stress, and eat more raw and living foods. So have you started? Have you taken on that challenge to change what may be years of bad habits? What is the first step you need to make in order to take on that challenge? And if you haven’t taken that step, what’s stopping you?

If you’re ready to take on a challenge, consider these points to help get you moving. Believe me, tasting victory makes this journey well worth it, but you have to start with that first step.

What challenge do you want to take on at this time in your life? Don’t say “my health, my career, and my relationships”. Focus on one challenge at a time and stay focused until you taste victory!
What is the very first step you need to take in order to accept the challenge? If it’s your health, what is the first thing you need to do? If it’s a career change, what skillset do you need? Do you need training? Think about what you need to take that first step and then do it!
What kind of support do you need to put in place to keep you motivated? Who can give you that support?
What wrong mindsets do you need to change in order to taste sweet victory? Do you have a mindset of defeat? Depression? Unworthiness? Remember that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he”. You must change your mindset to one of victory if you want to experience true and lasting change.

Get excited about the challenges that face you and make a decision to take them on, one at a time. And then experience the very sweet taste of victory! You’ll be so glad you did.

p.s. Want someone to support you with those challenges? I’m here for you! http://tinyurl.com/lzb434

Discover Kingdom Health

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:37:17 +0000

Well, it’s the last 3 days of the Discover Kingdom Health Telesummit. Tonight’s guest speaker is Brooke Boone of www.holyyoga.net. Listen in as she shares how she came to create Holy Yoga and how we can worship God through Christ-centered yoga practice. Awesome! Sign up here:

www.discoverkingdomhealth.com

Re-Centering – Step 2

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:19:37 +0000

Last week we talked about the first step to getting re-centered after experiencing “life”. What are your “overwhelms”? Working outside the home while raising children? Family problems that drain you of energy? Whatever it is, use these steps I’m outlining to “re-center” yourself. Step One was Start at the Beginning and you can read about that in last week’s coaching tip.

Step Two is to Make Your Health a Priority. When you get into overwhelm, you have a tendency to grab food here, grab food there, rather than eating for optimum energy and health. Give the proper time to prepare living foods and have them ready – nothing tends to get you off-centered more than stuffing junk food into your body.

And what about rest? Don’t stay up too late trying to get everything done. Rest and a good night’s sleep is one of the most important gifts you can give you body so don’t cheat yourself out of that much needed self-care habit.

Whatever your self-care habits are (and I hope you DO have them!), don’t neglect them when you get into overwhelm because of life’s obstacles. It’s especially important with the season that is coming upon us and far too easy to let go of all of the progress you’ve made in your health during the year.

Stay tuned for Step 3 next week. Until then…find your quiet space and make your health a priority!

Love,

Coach Ginny
Times of Refreshing Wellness Center
“creating wellness…from the inside out”
http://www.timesofrefreshingwc.com

Does this coaching tip resonate with you? If you would like to explore coaching possibilities with Ginny, please visit http://tinyurl.com/lzb434

Getting Re-Centered…Step One

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:33:14 +0000

Getting “Re-Centered”

I had “life” happen in a big way last week. I was given all kinds of new (and not so fun) responsibilities in my Corporate America job, I got hit with a respiratory infection that put me in bed and out of commission for several days, and I attended a weekend event that I was so excited about but that put me almost in a state of panic at everything I needed and wanted to do in my business. My centered feeling from my recent fast was gone. I felt overwhelmed, under-qualified, and negative in general. So I began the process of “re-centering” (not sure that’s a word, but I think you get my meaning!). I realized several things that I want to share with you over the next few weeks so that when you feel that feeling of overwhelm and negativity, you won’t spin your wheels for weeks or months while you attempt to get back on track. First things First:

1) Start at the Beginning. Find your own “quiet place,” get a journal and your Bible, and sit. Yes, I said sit! This is absolutely where you must start. Elizabeth Elliot says that “God always gives you enough time to do what He has called you to do” and that is so true. Pray, meditate, and seek God for His direction. Don’t spin your wheels in overwhelm. Get clarity about where to start and what to do that day. Journal, listen, pray, rest. Start here or everything else you do will be a waste of time.

I’ll be building on this theme over the next few weeks because this seems to be a challenge for so many of my clients. Until then…find your quiet space!

Love,

Coach Ginny

6 Tips to Control Emotional Eating During the Holidays

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:40:39 +0000

How do you view the holiday season? Is it a joyful time for you, or is it a season that you dread because your eating habits seem out of control? Here are some tips to help you overcome emotional eating during the holidays.

1) Create your Quiet Space! Take time to be quiet, meditate, and rest your mind and heart. Allow God to take you to the “green pastures” so you will be refreshed and ready for the day. This one tip alone can help keep you from eating from stress and exhaustion, two common triggers for emotional eating.

2) Say No! There are many social opportunities during the holidays. Be very intentional about the things you choose to do. Who are the people you really want to spend time with this year? What about ministry opportunities? Say yes to your top priorities and don’t allow guilt to cause you to overburden yourself.

3) Practice Self-Care! I can’t emphasize this enough. I define self-care as those habits and practices that help you be the very best you can be. What self-care practices do you have in place now? Don’t neglect them because you have an overly crowded schedule.

4) Prepare for a Healthy Holiday! Accept the fact that there will be a lot of food around you. People have such good hearts during this season and want to bless you with their favorite homemade goodies. Keep a good stock of healthy snacks and foods at work and at home so you will have choices. If you have put these other principles into place, making healthy choices will be so much easier because you’re not exhausted and stressed from doing too much.

5) Reject Perfectionism! Does the house really have to be perfectly cleaned, perfectly decorated, all the presents matching with professionally decorated trimmings? Your family and friends really just want you! Reject the idea that everything has to be perfect for the season and enjoy just being together.

6) Don’t go into Debt! There can be so much pressure during the holidays to buy gifts. If it’s not in your budget, don’t start charging presents on credit cards. You’ll enter the New Year with the added stress of having to pay the debt and more than likely the people you bought the gifts for will have already forgotten what you bought them.

These principles may not seem like they have much to do with overeating. But if you’re an emotional eater, stress, exhaustion, and depression are just a few of the triggers for overindulgence in food. Use these principles to begin renewing your mind and creating permanent habits that will change you on the inside first. Then the outside changes you desire will happen without another diet, without packaged and proportioned food, and without pills! and you will be truly free!

Ginny Edwards is a Christian Life and Health coach specializing in assisting her clients find freedom and overcome emotional eating and then go on to discover and pursue their dreams. You can find out more about Ginny at http://www.timesofrefreshingwc.com.

XTreme Self-Care

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:32:35 +0000

What is your battlefield when it comes to emotional eating and letting go of your healthy habits? By battlefield, I mean a particular situation where you find it very difficult to stay true to your core values of self-care. For example, many women have a very difficult time days before their cycle. Some battle depression, food cravings, and emotional stress at a much higher level than they normally do. Maybe your battlefield is a certain relationship that because of certain dynamics can set you up for failure, or a project at work that causes you to become highly stressed.

To create your healthiest life, it’s very important to know what your battlefields are and rather than do what most of us do during those times, which is not practice our self-care plans, we need to use extreme measures of self-care. Rather than let ourselves down by not exercising, overeating, and not getting enough rest, why not take your self-care up a notch? Self-care on steroids! (kidding…but you get the idea). Have more healthy foods prepared. Work out 15 minutes more than you normally do, spend more time in quiet meditation. It’s far too easy to fall back into unhealthy habits when we are facing particularly hard battles. So make a plan! Prepare for those times, and create Xtreme self-care habits for your battles!

Supporting a healthier you,

Coach Ginny

p.s. Would you like to start eating more healthfully but you feel
trapped by emotional eating, bingeing, and the low self-esteem that
comes with those habits? Start your journey to overcoming here:
http://www.biblicalsolutionsforemotionaleating.com

Does this coaching tip resonate with you? If you would like to explore coaching possibilities with Ginny, please visit http://tinyurl.com/lzb434